A Joint Academic-Industry Data Architecture Specification of Fundamental Sleep Measures for Wearable Consumer Health Trackers
Abstract
Consumer health trackers (CHTs) capable of estimating sleep have become widely adopted and are increasingly used by individuals, researchers, and healthcare professionals to characterize habitual sleep patterns and their relationship to health. However, although many manufacturers report similarly named sleep measures, these are often defined, computed, and represented differently, hindering clinical integration. Population reference values, risk thresholds, and outcome associations can only be established reliably when measurements represent the same underlying constructs. To address this standards gap, a multidisciplinary working group comprising academic and industry experts developed a Minimum Viable Standard (MVS) specifying a common semantic framework for Fundamental Sleep Measures (FSMs) generated by CHT. The specification balances scientific rigor, clinical utility, and practical implementation while accommodating proprietary algorithms and user interfaces. By standardizing backend data semantics rather than front-end product implementation, the framework enables interoperability across manufacturers without constraining innovation. The specification defines metadata, provenance, quality indicators, and circumstances in which wearable-derived sleep measures should be interpreted with caution. This work provides the technical foundation for consistent integration of CHT sleep data into electronic health records, digital health platforms, and population health surveillance systems. Establishing standardized language for wearable sleep measurement, enables clinically interpretable, interoperable, and trustworthy use of CHT sleep data while preserving manufacturer’s opportunities for technological innovation.
